Accelerator control device



Sept. 18, 1951 s. N. LAVERENTS 2,568,454

ACCELERATOR CONTROL DEVICE Filed March 8, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig./.86

Inventor f2 92 94 60 5 4 Sidney N. Laverenrs Sept. 18, 1951 v s. N.LAVERENTS 2,568,454

' ACCELERATOR CONTROL DEVICE Filed March 8. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 SidneyN. Laverenrs INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 18, 195i UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE 2,568,454ACCELERATOR CONTROL- DEVICE Sidney N.- Laverents, San Diego, Calif.-

Application March 8, 1950, Serial No. 148,331

8 Claims. (01. 74 513) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in accelerator control devices and the primary object ofthe present invention is to provide a self-setting ratchet type footaccelerator pedal that is selectively retained in a predetermineddepressed position.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide anaccelerator control device including a throttle operating pedal, alooking mechanism for retaining the pedal in a selected depressedposition so that a vehicle may operate at a relatively constant speed,and embodying a heel plate mounted on the pedal for operating thelocking mechanism.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a gaspedal having a locking mechanism associated therewith for holding theformer in a predetermined depressed position and including a novel andimproved operating means for the locking mechanism that is actuated bythe brake pedal of a motor vehicle associated with the presentinvention.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a self-settingratchet type foot pedal that is quickly and readily applied tothe floorboard of a motor driven vehicle in a convenient manner for connectionwith the throttle and brake pedal of the vehicle.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide anaccelerator control of the aforementioned character that is simple andpractical in construction, strong and reliable in use, highly eflicientin operation, small and compact in structure, neat and attractive inappearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyon the plane of section line l-l of Figure 2 and showing the heel platein elevation;

Figure 2 is a a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantiallyon the plane of section line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is an end View of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a reduced, fragmentary, longitudinal, vertical sectionalview taken substantially on the plane of section line 44 of Figure 1;

showing the heel plate locked to'the' foot pedal in a depressedposition; Figure 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal verticalsectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 6-6 ofFigure 1';

Figure 7 is a top plan view' of the present invention, with parts brokenaway for the convenience of explanation, and showing the manner in whichthe auxiliary lock release mechanism is applied to the brake pedal(shown partially in dotted lines) Figure 8 is a side elevational view ofFigure '7 and showing'the brake pedal in elevation; and

Figure 9 is a rear elevational View of Figure '8 taken substantially inthe direction of arrow numbered 9. Referring now to the drawings indetail, where in for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed apreferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 10 representsan elongated base member or plate that is detachably secured to thefloor board ll of a motor vehicleby fa's-' teners or the like [4. I Therear portion of the base member lfll is provided with a channelshapedoffset I6 and the 'forward portion of the base member terminates in asleeve l8 that receives a pin 20 held to the sleeve by a removablecotter pin or the like 22. The channel shaped offset 16 receives one endof an elongated substantially channel-shaped foot pedal 24 and a pivotbolt or pin 26 extends through the legs of the channel shaped offset 16and the legs of the channel shaped foot pedal 241 Removable holding pinsor cotter pins 28 retain the pivot pin 26 relative to the channel-shapedoffset and the foot pedal. Y The forward free end portion of the footpedal 24 slidably and adjustably supports a block 30 that is suitablysecuredto the throttle 32 of a motor driven vehicle on which the presentinvention is applied so that as the foot pedal is pressed downwardly,the speed 'of the vehicle will increase as is conventional for the gaspedals of vehicles.

One end of an arcuate ratchet 34 is fixed at one end to the pin 20 andthe rearconcaved edge of the ratchet is provided with teeth 36 for apurpose which will later be more fully apparent.

The free end of the ratchet 34 is slidably received in a slot 38provided in one leg of an angle mem ciently large as to permitthe footpedal to be completely raised or depressed without effecting a bindingof the ratchet in the said slot 38. A stop or pin-42 removably carriedby the free end of the ratchet 34 will prevent disengagement of theratchet from the guide 40.

The slotted leg of the guide is reinforced by a strip 44 also having aslot 46 that registers with the slot 38 and which slidably receives theratchet gl.

A guide ear, or eye lfl risesgfro'm,the plate-fl and slid'ably'rcei'vesthe forward en'd'of'anelongated and slightly bent locking bar or link 50and the forward end of the locking bar is formed with a plurality ofteeth 52 for selectively..engaging the teeth 36 of the ratchet 34 inrord er toretain the foot pedal 24 in a selected depresse'd'position.

Means is provided for disengaging theteeth 52 of th locking bar so withthe teeth as of the' ratchet 34, and this means consists of a he l plate:5l4ehaving' ralwear surface 56. Substantially tri- .cotter pin 66carried by the roiection fid is-positioned .betwe.en. the ilegs lofitheianchor bracket to preyent disen a ement of the docking bar-fromthefiinchoribracketlsee Figure-3:). i f

Ailon itudinally extending coil s ring M is anchored at its forward endto one leg of t e-foot redaldandihe rear endofithis snr-ingli -is fi edto Jone sidenflange ;58 to :normally 411126 t e rear portion Of the heelplate-.54 upward-1v th-roneh asl t ornnenin an in the web of thefootpedal and the :teeth 52 .of the looking bar- 5fl enga ed withtheteethflfi of the ratchet 34,415 shown best in Fi ure2of the drawings.a =Means is -provided for retaining the heel plate 54, flush or coplanarwith the web of t e foot pedal 24 and the wearsurface 56 of the heelplate 54 flush'or cap1anar,.with the wear surface 12 of the fobt pedal.24. wfl his latest means cornnriscs .a slidable latch mer'nber or plate4 havin an inclined edge :or Icam surface {It at one end for Slidablyengaging an abutment or plate 18 fixed between the longer edges of theside flan es 58 (see'Ei nre 5). 3

A pair or pins and 82 project laterally from the latch plate 14 andareslidably'received in longitudinal slots '84 provided-in one leg of theIQQt pedal 24. Qbyiously, the pins!!!) and 825m provided with suitableretaining ineans, such as shoulders, 86, for retaining the pins to'thefoot pedal. ifhe end portion of one of the pins, for example 82,projects well outwardly from the 90. 3 pedal to. provide a means 'formanually slidins the latch plate 14.

Swingably or pivotally mounted on the pin '68,

between one side flange 58 and one leg of the 091; pedal 24, is alocking dog or arm -88 having a free end portion 90 "for reception in aselected one of, a plurality of longitudinally spaced re- QESSQS 92iil'the'lowei edge? of the latch plate T4.

A coilspring 9.4 embraces thepi'n 60 and its ends are, fixed to the footpedal 24 and dog ils to normally urge the latter. to a raised positionwith the nd Q0 i to, a. selected one ot the recesses 92.

- In Dnaictical'use oi the present invention, thus far described, theheel plate 54 is normally flush with the web of the foot pedal 24, asshown in Figure 5, and the dog 8'8 is received in one of the recesses 92with the latch plate 14 over the abutment 18 to hold the heel plateagainst pivotal movement. When in this position, the present foot pedalfunctions as is normal for the gas pedal of a vehicle.

T .re e ....ihe foot e al in. a, predetermined gdepresgechposition, itis merely; necessary to force "the pin' 8'2 forwardly therebypermitting'the latch plate 14 to disengage the abutment l8 and the heelplate to pivot upwardly as shown in Figures gz andgi, fiygreleasing theheel from the heel plate 54 prior to thereleasing or the toe from thefoot -pedal*24,the-1ocking bar 50 will be urged forwgrdly sothat theteeth 52 will engage the teeth iii? 36 of theratchet 34. V

Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate an auxiliary means for actuating thelocking bar 50 and which means isi-onerated slay the ,;us.ual abmkemedal 2&6 nfithe motorevehicle. l .7 Suitably-:mounted-nn cthezplate d4,iis. a smart loop 98 that receives a fflexilale ztzubing .il ill] shaving one send-fixed; to la channel member 1 Hi2 ise.-. cured to the floorboardii-z. dhi-fleziiblesshaitalfld is slidably received inqthe tubing;kill) and loneiof its ends, :for :example. and Mid,-

.slidablys receiyedlin rsuitable apertures :provided in the legs of :the..channel;mernber.ili12 and ttheslremaining end 1183.01 sthe shaft tflLprojectsLoutwardlyifrom theitubingtol-abutaniadjustableEbearingimemberlid carried by theilockingibar fill. .l

A sleeve fixed to the shank .112 of the Zbrake pedal @96 is :providedwith ascamrsurfacelsl 116 :for slidably engaging the end 1:96 of theshaft HM as theib'rake 'pedal illfiiis depressed V VEheaboveastructure-isa safetyrelease forthe locking bar 50 since whenthe driver applies lliis foot .to :the "brake pedal, '-.witl 1 tl'ie:pedal it locked in .a predetermined depressed. position, the camsurface H6 will ride against end 1 86 of the shaft 7M4 to move*theishaftaso that the end M8 thereof will force the hearing member ltil and locking bar 56 erearwandly disengaging teeth 52 from the teeth86. a

A stop plate i l-8 fixed to the foot-pedal 24 limits the downwardpivotal movement ofthe heel plate 54 relative-to the-toot pedal 24.

Inview of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawingsit is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is according l-y deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein showndescribed apre'ierredembodiment of the invention the -s'ar ne issusceptible to certain changes fullycompre hended by the spirit ofthei'nven tionas herein described and the scope of the ap faendedclaims;

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: f

l. A'n accelerator control devi'ce comprising'a base plate, a foot pedalplvoted'at Qneend to said I guide mounted on said first named guide andslidably receiving said locking member, and means carried by said pedalfor operating said locking member.

2. An accelerator control device comprising a base plate, a foot pedalpivoted at one end to said base plate for vertical swinging movement,means operatively connecting the free end of said pedal to the throttleof a motor vehicle, a ratchet pivoted to said base plate beneath saidpedal for vertical swinging movement, a guide mounted on said pedalslidably receiving the ratchet, another guide beneath the pedal, alocking member slidably carried by said last named guide selectivelyengaging the teeth of said ratchet to retain the pedal in apredetermined depressed position, a heel plate pivoted to said pedal andconnected to said locking member for operating the latter, and meanscarried by the pedal for locking the heel plate to the pedal and againstpivotal movement.

*3. An accelerator control device comprising a base plate, a foot pedalpivoted at one end to said base plate, means operatively connecting thefree end of said pedal to the throttle of a motor vehicle, a ratchetcarried by said base plate, a guide mounted on said pedal slidablyreceiving the ratchet, locking means carried by said pedal selectivelyengaging the teeth of said ratchet to retain the pedal in apredetermined depressed position, a heel plate pivoted to said pedal andconnected to said last mentioned means for operating the latter, andmeans normally urging said locking means into engagement with saidratchet 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said means urging saidlocking means includes a coil spring anchored at one end to said pedaland its remaining end to said heel plate to retain the latter inclinedto said pedal.

5. The combination of claim 4 and means for holding said heel platesubstantially coplanar with said foot pedal.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said holding means includes aslidable latch, an abutment on said heel plate slidably receiving saidlatch, and a swingable locking element carried by said pedal andengaging said slidable latch to hold the same against sliding movement.

'7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said latch includes a cam surfaceengageable with said abutment.

8. In combination with the foot operated brake pedal and throttle of amotor vehicle, an acelerator control device comprising, a base plate, afoot pedal pivoted at one end to said base plate for vertical swingingmovement, means operatively connecting the free end of said foot pedalto the throttle, a ratchet pivoted on said base plate beneath the pedal,a guide carried by said foot pedal slidably receiving said ratchet, asecond guide depending from the pedal, a looking member slidably carriedby the second guide for selectively engaging the teeth of said ratchet,a heel plate pivoted on said foot pedal and connected to said lockingmember for operating said locking member into and out of engagement withsaid ratchet, means yieldingly urging said looking member intoengagement With said ratchet, a first means for moving said lockingmember out of engagement With said ratchet, and a second means operatedby the brake pedal for moving said locking member out of engagement withsaid ratchet.

SIDNEY N. LAVERENTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name D3136 1,302,112 Wilkins Apr. 29, 19191,553,280 Wright Sept. 8, 1925 1,662,211 Shier Mar. 13, 1928

